NARACOORTE
Yarding: 2916
Steers to $1900, av $1377
Heifers to $1690, av $1188
EASTERN state buyers blew away much of the local competition at the Naracoorte combined agents' monthly store sale on Thursday, pushing prices to some of the best rates ever seen at the yards for heavy cattle.
Many steers in the nearly 3000 head yarding cracked the $4 a kilogram but some pens up to $4.60/kg, while plainer types made $3.70-$3.90/kg.
Feedlotters were in the thick of the action with many of the cattle 350 kilograms plus and Landmark International had a boat order, buying about 200 Angus steers.
Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen auctioneer Josh Manser said prices exceeded many vendor's expectations by $80 to $100 a head and in a few cases a lot more.
'We have seen $5/kg before when the market was up about three years ago but that was for lighter cattle, I don't think we have ever seen the heavy end feedlot cattle sell so well," he said.
"It was a good 80c/kg better than last month- today black steers were making up to $4.60/kg, they may have been $3.80/kg last sale.
"I had a client with heifers in the January 8 sale that made $2.33/kg and yesterday their heifers made $4.26/kg - admittedly they were 50kg lighter but that is out of this world."
Mr Manser said he couldn't see too much change to these high prices in coming months.
"The cattle market is made up of supply and demand and supply will not be there down here for at least the next eight to 10 months," he said.
"When feedlots are paying $4/kg you can justify paying $4/kg plus a bit more with the backstop there- every kilogram you are putting on is another $4 rather than every kilogram of weight gain being $2 so those young cattle could still look good buying."
Steer top price honours of $1900 went to JT&GM McKay, Lucindale, with their 15 September 2018-drop Angus steers.
The 485kg steers were knocked down to Ravensworth feedlot, Hay, NSW, who also secured 28 456kg Angus from NJ&MJ Watson, Lucindale, for $1820.
Jacdavlyn Pastoral, Reedy Creek, sold 10 March-April 2019 drop, Granite Ridge bloods weighing 441kg for $1830.
Teys Australia bought 19 460kg Angus from JTM Trust, for $1850 for its Jindalee feedlot, near Wagga Wagga.
Also among the well-bred weaners N&S Smith, Katalpa, Furner, sold five pens of European Union-accredited, March/April 2019-drops which all cracked the $4/kg mark.
The 92 head included two pens of black baldies, weighing 343.1kg and 298.1kg which made $4.22/kg.
"Considering we normally sell in the January sale but this year we only sold a handful of our calves then which made $3.24/kg we are well in front," vendor Norm Smith said.
Jimbadeen Props, Struan, received $4.12/kg for 19 Nampara and JB blood Angus steers weighing 335.8kg.
PAE&PA Riggs sold 17 EU Angus which had been on agistment at Millicent since the Kangaroo Island bushfires last month. The 324kg steers made $1390 to Killara feedlot, NSW.
Princess Royal feedlot, Burra, was the strongest of the SA buyers securing 400 head, about half of these EU cattle.
This included the $1690 top price heifers from Tumbe Munda Pastoral, Lucindale.
The 16 Landfall blood Angus which were about 18 months old weighed 462kg.
Also among their buys were 23 EU Red Angus cross heifers from Weaver Livestock, Balmoral, Vic for $3.64/kg.
The May-June 2018 drops weighed 368kg.
Maroona, Kingston, received $1550 for 11 July-August 2019 drop Shorthorn heifers weighing 426kg, also to Princess Royal.
A pen of 8 403kg Red Angus-Charolais cross heifers from SL&VK Clarke, Avenue Range, made $1490 to Nampara Pastoral Company.
Their 403kg steers earlier made $1650.
Twelve Angus cross heifers from WD, RG&NW Robinson, Edenhope, Vic, weighing 369.6kg made $3.69/kg, equating to $1364.
JT&GM McKay's top pen of heifers, weighing 329kg, made $1300 to Southern Australian Livestock Mount Gambier.
A few pens of pregnancy -tested-in-calf cows were also yarded with the tops, three second calving Angus from David Johnston making $1520 to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson Lucindale.
It was wasn't a big crowd but those buyers who were here were fair dinkum about sourcing cattle.
- Ronnie Dix, Elders
Elders auctioneer Ronnie Dix said feedlotters were "craving feeder cattle that were not fat" and paid $3.70 to $4.10/kg, while backgrounding steers, 290 to 330kg, made $3.80 up to $4.80/kg, depending on quality.
Mr Dix quoted the best of the feeder heifers at $3.80/kg but said a lot changed hands between $3.45/kg to $3.65/kg, and a few pens bought for breeding made $4/kg.
"It wasn't a big crowd but those buyers who were here were fair dinkum about sourcing cattle," he said.
"I don't think we broke any records, it just compares with what is happening around the area.
"There is a reason why in NSW they are buying, it is because they can't buy them up there and they are all $5/kg - these are no cheaper by the time they land them but they are getting cattle."
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